First Impressions
by Persephonae
Summary: AU Crossover Fic. Naruto Uzumaki is bringing life to sleepy old Konohagakure. With him comes the haughty Sasuke Uchiha-who seems to make enemies wherever he goes. Their arrival upsets the balance of Kakashi Hatake's world, where he quietly raised four orphaned girls with the assistance of his abrasive governess. Didn't anyone learn that first impressions can be lasting?


**A/N: So, I wanted to delve into something ….different. This of course led me to create a sort-of-but-not-quite AU Naruto fic crossover with Pride and Prejudice. Makes sense, ne? It's not an exact science, and it's loosely based in some places and eerily similar in others. There are only 4 "Bennet" girls, so Kitty's Naruto counterpart is out (I could have stretched it, but I think it'd be too much). So don't go getting all flustered when it's not entirely parallel with the plot of one of my favorite books. I need room for creativity, and wanted to try my hand at a pseudo-AU fic.**

**With that said, let me know what you think. Should I go with it? Is it the least bit interesting? Other thoughts? I'm currently tying up another story (finally), so updating will be sporadic.**

**Like I said: work in progress. Have mercy on my soul. Oh, and also review, thanks**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Pride & Prejudice. Le sigh._

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**~OoOoO~**

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Sakura watched the tiny droplets of moisture spatter the glass window, slowly sliding down the pane in watery trails of despair. She tapped her finger tips on the wooden frame, sighing in resignation.

_The day is utterly ruined_.

"You really do enjoy your walks," the lavender-eyed woman murmured, not looking up from where she was embroidering the coverslip for a pillow. _Exciting work, really_, she would undoubtedly reply if Sakura inquired if she were enjoying stitching. It always made Sakura bleary-eyed, resulting in a migraine from the strain on her vision.

Sakura smiled warmly at her adoptive sister. "I feel like a farm animal holed up in a barn! Who says I can't trudge around the countryside covered in mud?"

"And what does that make Ino…if you were a farm animal, I mean?" Hinata suppressed a giggle, jabbing her fingertip with the sharp needle point. She shoved the creamy skin into her mouth at the first droplet of crimson. Her pale eyes darted toward the window, her gaze slightly unfocused.

"A sow," Sakura sighed into the palm of her hand as it cupped her cheek. She was still angry at Ino for stealing her favorite comb and breaking off a few of the teeth. It was the only relic of her family she had been able to retain. She glared at her other adoptive sister, eyes narrowing in displeasure. "A big, fat, pig."

Ino was paying them no heed, instead amusing herself by baiting Karui. The blonde laughed loudly as Karui slammed on the keys of the piano with unskilled hands. She had been attempting at lessons for weeks now, and seemingly making no progress. Sakura shared her pain, as she, too, was inept with any musical instrument.

"I hate this stupid thing!" the dark-skinned woman hissed in frustration, golden eyes narrowing . "Who the hell actually enjoys listening to this crap?"

"Karui," Sakura lightly reminded the oft-abrasive woman, "Your language is not becoming of a young lady."

Karui pressed her lips together tightly. She would not challenge Sakura or Hinata, as she deeply respected her elder foster sisters. An incident in town a few weeks ago had them all on edge, concerned that Karui had an "anger problem" (as Kakashi put it when he paid for her bail). Ino seemed to enjoy evoking her ire, while the others did their best to divert the aftermath.

"Sorry," she muttered. "But I'd like to throw this thing out of a window. Better?"

Ino rolled her eyes and tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder—a move that only served to annoy Karui more. She swatted at the blonde with a growl. "Stop being such a bit—" she hesitated, glancing at Hinata as she considered her words, "Erm, a b-brat. Yeah, a brat!"

"Oooh, is that what you were going to say?" Ino instigated dangerously. She was no match for Karui, but she knew the dark-skinned woman was doing her best to show restraint. When she realized that she would not irritate Karui further, she sighed in frustration. "You're all such a bore today! I wish we had a ball with handsome men."

"I bet you would," Sakura hissed through gritted teeth. _Is that all you ever think about?_

"Sakura…" Hinata softly warned. "A comb isn't the end of the world, you know."

Sakura sighed, Hinata was correct, though she did not know the sentiment attached to the item. "I know. I just hate that she gets away with it. She's always being babied."

"It's because she practically acts like one," the dark haired woman easily agreed, narrowing her eyes and feigning interest in her embroidery as she brought it closer to her face. Sakura knew that she could see those tiny holes from a mile away, and the action was only to feign distraction.

"I wouldn't mind smacking her around sometimes," the pinknette grumpily replied, her attention drawn back to the rainy window pane. _Or most of the time_.

Hinata's lips twitched upward as she pressed the needle between her lips, "I have no doubt you could easily do that."

Sakura smiled faintly, her attention drawn back to the window. She squeezed her eyes shut, wiling the rain to disappear and the sun to shine on her face. She so badly wished for a walk—to feel the wind in her hair and the smell of the fresh grass in the warm spring son. The weather was improving, and she needed to replenish her medicinal herbs. Her aunt—albeit adoptive—Kurenai was gifted with medicinal plants, displaying quite a green thumb as well as an enthusiasm that could only make Sakura fall in love with medicine. She even ventured that perhaps someday, she'd become a full-fledged physician. At least, that's what she overheard Kakashi telling Anko a few months ago.

But it would need to stop raining first.

When she opened her eyes, she was startled to see a gentleman blinking back at her from the other side of the glass. Sakura screamed, her arms flailing as she fell backward from her stool. Hinata attempted to catch her, but both women toppled to the floor in a pile of limbs and embroidery.

In a blur of movement, Karui was hovering protectively over them, a butter knife tightly in her grip as she growled at the man staring through the rain-streaked window. He was tall and his hair in disarray. He wore an odd sort of bandage over the bridge of his nose, Sakura noted through the pillowcase that was now covering her face. He was cute in an unconventional sort of way. And, he was most definitely soaked.

"Whaddya idiots bitchin' about now?" the raven-haired woman strode into the room at the commotion, her clothes nearly indecent from her lack of both undergarments and length of skirt. Hinata cried out, pointing toward the window. Anko narrowed her eyes at the newcomer, crossing her arms over her chest. She huffed incoherently in a string of profanities, Sakura guessed, before quickly moving toward the window and throwing it open.

The newcomer stared at her with mutual interest, his eyes roaming to her chest. She squeezed her arms together more tightly, and Sakura cringed at the move. Anko knew she was attractive and ample, but her indecency would be the end of them. Sakura cleared her throat as she pushed herself to her feet and smoothed her disarrayed hair.

Anko glanced at her from the corner of her eye before her attention returned to the man at the open window. "Well?" she tapped her foot impatiently. "Whaddya want?"

"She's so r-rude!" Hinata whispered in embarrassment, her cheeks pinking.

The man coughed, "Y-Yes, why am I here?" He held out an envelope. "Lord Uzumaki humbly requests your presence for festivities at his manor during the upcoming month."

"Uzumaki?" Anko repeated, her voice dripping with suspicion. She took the envelope between her fingers and deftly lifted it from his grip. "Don't know nobody by that name."

"Lord Uzumaki has recently moved to the area and is hoping to make your," he eyed the women in the room as if for the first time, "and your girls' acquaintances."

Anko peeled open the letter, her eyes scanning it briefly before flippantly handing it to Sakura. The pink-haired woman was at her side, looking at the young man curiously. At first she thought he had wounded his face, but decided the bandage was more for show or adornment rather than to hide a blemish. Her eyes darted to the letter being gingerly held between her fingertips.

"A soiree?" the dark-haired governess repeated the word she had gleamed from the invitation. It rolled off her tongue like she had never uttered the word before. "What? Is he rich or something?"

"Anko!" Sakura whispered in warning, eyes wide. Hinata maintained her composure, aside from the nervous wringing of her hands.

The man smiled lightly, nodding. "Let's agree that he's well off—"

"But is he _single_?" Anko continued to press. Sakura's stomach sank from embarrassment. She could hear Hinata's teeth chattering.

"He is, my lady," the man bowed his head, disappearing momentarily under the window sill.

"More importantly: is he lookin'?" Anko jerked her head toward Sakura and Hinata. Both women were equally red in the cheeks. _You get my drift_, her eyes said. _What's in it for us? _

The man chuckled nervously, dancing from one foot to the other. He noticed Ino, who was smiling radiantly, though his gaze was short-lived. "Please RSVP in a timely manner, ma'am." With that, he turned on heel and sprinted off into the precipitous drizzle.

Ino, who had been doing everything she could to restrain herself, threw herself at the letter in Sakura's hands, nearly tearing it free. "A dance? Will there be _men_?"

"Is that all you ever think about?" Sakura countered, meeting Hinata's eyes and raising her brow in feigned shock.

"Is there anything else?" Ino flounced, pushing her ponytail over her shoulder. Sakura often wondered if Ino's preoccupation was natural or feigned. She was also quite gifted in botany, able to grow anything from seed with little resources. She had a true green thumb, as Sakura's mother would have called it.

"She'll be the first to get hitched, that one," Anko mused under her breath, elbowing Sakura and jerking her head toward Ino.

"Please don't encourage her atrocious behavior," Sakura rubbed her temple with a free hand as Hinata scanned the invitation from a few meters away over Ino's shoulder.

"Why? I ain't gettin' any younger, and you girls aren't going to meet available young men by staying cooped up in this house," she told them matter-of-factly.

"Marriage has never been my goal in life," Sakura bristled.

"You haven't met the right man, girl." Anko scoffed.

Ino squealed in glee as she threw the paper onto the piano. "Sisters! We _must _respond. Today! It will be so much fun!"

Sakura sent a pleading look toward Hinata. The pale-eyed woman met her gaze, her eyebrows drawing together in contemplation. After a moment, she added, "Maybe….it will be fun, as Ino says."

_Am I outnumbered_? Sakura inwardly wondered. She glared at Anko, who beamed triumphantly.

"Good, it's settled," she barked. "I'll let Hatake know that we've received a request to attend a dinner at this new stuffy Lord Uzumaki's house. Consider it a family outing."

"Yes!" Ino clapped gleefully.

Karui looked disinterested in the entire debacle, and Hinata appeared somewhat pleased with the prospect. Sakura resigned herself to the embarrassment that would be the rare occasion they wandered into society as a united front. She flopped into a chair with an exasperated sigh.

"It'll be alright," Hinata patted her hand as she picked up her embroidery. Sakura reveled in how she always saw the good in everything. _The patience of a saint_.

"I know," Sakura drawled. She noticed Hinata's soft smile. "What're you thinking?"

"I have to admit," Hinata mused, "I wonder if this Lord Uzumaki is as handsome as his doorman."

It was the first time all day that Sakura had smiled.

* * *

"Oh, we _must _go, you say?" Kakashi raised his eyebrows at Ino as he sat back in his chair, coffee in hands.

"Absolutely. It's the civilized thing to do!" Ino pouted, hands on her hips.

"And who are you, my dear Ino, to give me a lecture on civilization?" He sipped at his hot beverage, winking at Sakura over the rim of the cup. She shook her head softly. Normally she enjoyed his teasing, but tonight she was somewhat uneasy with his impending agreement.

"Come on, Kakashi!" Ino whined. "Why should we not go?"

Kakashi shrugged. He looked at the girl next to Sakura. "Do you agree, Hinata?"

Hinata looked up, her expression solemn and her skin a fine porcelain. She took a moment to articulate an answer. "I do, Sir. I think it'd be nice to see our neighbors for one night."

"Sakura?" Kakashi's eyebrows were raised in expectation. He had since given up on Hinata's extreme politeness in addressing him as "Sir" after years of insisting she call him Kakashi.

Sakura took a moment to think about it with as little bias as she could muster. "I suppose….it wouldn't hurt. Maybe it will be, dare I say it…. fun?" Ino threw her arms around Sakura in appreciation. She awkwardly patted Ino's arm, smiling at the gesture. Sometimes, just sometimes, Ino could be tolerable—even lovable.

Kakashi smiled and stared at the far wall. "Well, if I _must." _

"You _must_!" Ino dared to skip around his chair like a child.

"You're such a pushover," Anko muttered in his ear. He shrugged slightly. Perhaps it was so.

Anko had been a mercenary before working for him at his specific request. She was abrasive and vulgar, but she was loyal and truly cared for Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Karui. He watched her thoughtfully as she barked at Karui, who was chasing Ino around the room out of annoyance. The blonde was undoubtedly picking on the tomboy again. Kakashi chuckled at their behavior. His eyes darted over his adoptive children. It was a rare occasion that they ventured from the confining walls of his manor. The world outside was cruel and demanding—the destruction of the last war still hanging heavily on the lands. He looked at the women seated around the dining table. He had taken in the orphans after the war, and gained a satisfaction watching them grow into the beautiful women that were before him. He would never admit it, but the thought of introducing them to available young men meant that his house would become all that more quiet. He had grown quite accustomed to the controlled chaos that was his life. It brought happiness to a house whose walls saw the death of the late Lord Hatake and his wife.

_What would one night of fun cost them? _

Besides, he could use a little socialization, as well. He wasn't getting any younger, and if he wanted children of his own in the near future, he really needed to revisit the dating scene. Trouble was, he found the local women intolerable.

"Well, if it is as Ino says," Kakashi lit his pipe, sucking in a deep breath filled with the relaxing incense of tobacco, "Then I supposed it shall be."

* * *

"What do you think, Karui?" Ino twirled, her deep violet gown floating outward from the movement. It sparkled as the tiny gemstones glittered like dew droplets in the light, skirt aplenty.

"Your breasts look fake. Oh, wait, they are," Karui teased, tugging at the bodice of her apricot gown. It set off her skin wonderfully, the bright color a contrast to her sullen expression. She was not one for social gatherings.

Sakura shook her head, applying the final touches into Hinata's coif. Karui wasn't too far off, Ino _had _relished in adding the extra padding to her bra. She looked top-heavy, and Sakura blushed at the spectacle she would invariably make. Ino was vain, and she was most welcoming of male attention. Sakura glanced down at her own lacking bosom before she wishfully looked at Hinata's. The dark-haired woman had beautiful lavender eyes and a wonderfully voluptuous figure. Sakura would be lying if she was to say she didn't envy her elder adopted sibling's womanly curves.

"I'mgonna get _all _the attention!" Ino gloated, pushing past Karui and stopping in front of the mirror. She cast a look at Hinata in the reflecting glass. "And you'll be second most beautiful, sister!" Her eyes roamed to Sakura, and her lips pressed together in a look of consternation as she refused to offer the pink-haired woman a compliment.

Sakura had opted for a side-swept look with a glittering clip of emerald to set off her eyes. Her gown was simple yet elegant, the gathered fabric at her waist making her appear to have a much more womanly figure than she truly owned. She was slim and boyish, though she was often told she was quite attractive—usually after someone complimented Hinata, of course. She stepped back, smiling triumphantly at her sister, whose creamy lemon dress with the tulle layers made her look all the more angelic.

"You look gorgeous, Hinata," Sakura breathed, clapping her hands together.

"With your help, of course," Hinata blushed as she saw her reflection for the first time.

"You have good genes," Sakura graciously smiled. She glanced at Karui, who had successfully pulled her hair free from its low bun, appearing worse for wear despite the triumphant smile on her face. Hinata and Sakura looked at each other knowingly before deciding that Karui would be their next conquest. The dark-skinned girl, of course, would fight them tooth and nail.

It was a good thing Sakura had put more effort into studying pressure points.

* * *

"Well, don't you all look presentable?" Anko crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Her dress was indecently low and tight, and Sakura couldn't help but wonder if Ino had played a role in her choice for eveningwear. She thought twice about it, deciding that the blonde woman wouldn't want additional competition. Ino ignored Anko, flouncing past her into the awaiting carriage.

Hinata rolled her eyes in emphasis and giggled as she linked her arm in Sakura's. "We should go. I'm n-nervous."

"Don't be," Sakura whispered, "Despite what Ino thinks, you'll be the belle of the ball."

Karui was the last to climb in, and she did so with as little eloquence as one could muster. Anko became impatient and pushed on Karui's backside to boost her into the carriage. "Hurry up, you oaf!"

Karui fell forward in a flurry of apricot skirt. She hissed profanities that Sakura didn't know existed.

"Now, now, that's not nice," Kakashi tsked from the doorway.

The women turned and stared at him. They had never seen him in such finery! His silvery hair was no longer in its usual disarray. Hinata's mouth fell open and Sakura caught the faint blush on Anko's cheeks as she took in Kakashi's double-breasted suit. If she hadn't thought of him as her father, she would actually consider him to be quite handsome!

He basked in their silent appraisal, raising an eyebrow. "Are all these stares for me?"

Ino huffed, obviously growing impatient. She tugged on a loose curl and pouted. Anko growled, "Get your ass in here, will ya? Ino's like a bitch in heat."

"That's one way to put it," Sakura mumbled under her breath. Hinata slapped her hand. Kakashi ambled in, winking them as he did so. He took a seat next to Anko.

"You look ravishing," he coughed. "What's the occasion?"

"You're pushing the wrong buttons, Hatake," Anko warned, despite a hint of a smile on her lips.

"I love pushing your buttons," he agreed, his eyes creasing from a slowly spreading smirk.

Sakura shook her head silently. They were like bickering siblings, though she occasionally detected a spark between them—one that could easily be ignited with the right fodder. Anko had once admitted to Sakura that she and Kakashi had been childhood friends—Anko's family working for the Hatakes. For some unclear reason, she had agreed to work with him after the last war. He had obtained the land from his now-deceased parents, and took it upon himself to adopt four parentless girls. At least, that was the story that Kakashi told. There was much more to the tiny manor than meets the eye. Sakura had quickly become Kakashi's prodigy with her ability to memorize various herbs and human anatomy. Each of them was trained in self-defense and skills reminiscent of their clan's "abilities". Ino had the ability—when she desired it—to influence an unsuspecting person's intent. Hinata's eyes had been trained to pick up the subtlest of movements, even over great distances. And Karui displayed amazing strength and resilience. Out of all of them, the latter was able to sense their emotions and pick up on minute cues. All of this training was done under Anko's tutelage. Despite her harsh exterior, she had devoted herself to the girls. She was gifted in marksmanship, and Sakura didn't doubt that she had killed with her bare hands before. The pink-haired woman glanced Kakashi, whose eyes were now closed as his head gently bobbed against the carriage wall from the gentle sway of the vehicle.

_What are _your _abiltiies, Kakashi? _she silently wondered. He was always so reserved and playful, but deep down, she could feel that he harbored….something. Why would he take in four young girls, to whom he owed nothing?

She pulled at the puckering of her dress, and she noticed Karui watching her closely. She smiled at the red-head, who nodded in response. Sakura sighed in discontent, settling back and peering over Ino's head as they approached the shining golden gate that bore the ensign, _Uzumaki_.

"So we are here, sister," she whispered to Hinata, who looked pale and anxious. She patted the dark-haired woman's hand.

Ino burst out into rapid speech, smoothing her hair and fidgeting with her breasts as the carriage rode the long, winding driveway with the neatly manicured foliage. Soon, they had come to a halt and the door was thrown open. A hand entered the carriage, and Ino was more than gleeful to exit. She lingered so long on the poor doorman that Kakashi ambled out and physically peeled her from him. In a matter of moments, all the women were standing on the smooth cobblestone, staring at the large manor that sprawled before them. The courtyard was twice what Kakashi owned! Sakura barely noticed that their doorman was the young man that had come to their residence over a week ago, now. He attempted to warble something to Anko, who merely shot him a look of annoyance. He scrambled away, tail between his legs.

"It's so beautiful," Hinata whispered. Sakura could only nod. Her eyes trailed up the stairs, and she could see dresses and suits alike. Men and women were chattering boisterously before them, arm-in-arm as they entered the large doorway with its warm and welcoming light.

"Sakura! Hinata!" a woman called out.

"Look! It's Shizune," Hinata pointed a gloved hand. Even that subtle movement looked elegant coming from Hinata.

"Shizune!" Sakura waved emphatically. She felt relieved to know someone else at the event. Maybe it would be tolerable, after all.

The dark-haired woman smiled widely, her hair short. She wore it parted on the side and clipped behind her ear. She was handsome in her gray gown. She dressed more conservatively, calling herself a spinster, though Sakura did not understand her preoccupation with being single, as she was nowhere near an age that she could designate herself as such!

"Thank the Gods! Someone else to tolerate this event with me!" Shizune muttered as she hugged both Hinata and Sakura. "I see Ino dressed for the occasion."

"Everyone seems to be noticing," Sakura smiled unnaturally as she answered under her breath. Ino was already arm-in-arm with a tall gentleman who had pale eyes—eyes nearly the color of Hinata's. He was handsome, Sakura noticed.. He looked over Ino's head, meeting Sakura's gaze momentarily. She smiled before returning her attention to Shizune, who was escorting them toward the stairs.

"Have you met him?" HInata ventured, sweat beading along her hairline.

"Who? Naruto Uzumaki?" Shizune played coy.

"You know his name, I see." Sakura knew that her friend would have taken certain liberties in researching the newcomer. She was always a reliable source of information, though her gathering techniques remained a mystery.

"Oh yes," Shizune shared, her voice low. "He comes here with money he's inherited upon his coming-of-age. With him comes his best friend, a dark-haired stranger whose name has slipped my memory. Master Uzumaki also brings his sister, Karin, I think is her name, and his other sister, Temari. Her husband, Shikamaru Nara, has also escorted her."

"You should take up a career in espionage, Zune," Sakura whispered, her hand covering her mouth as she hid a smile of astonishment. Shizune laughed and Hinata gasped.

The women looked to the top of the stairs. Standing there was a young gentleman with hair as gold as Ino's. It was spiky and neat, and he smiled widely as he greeted his guests with firm handshakes —as if he had no care in the world. Sakura was certain the young man was Naruto Uzumaki. He carried an air of friendliness that made her want to gravitate to him, despite her general distrust of people. She caught Hinata staring, and she nudged her sister. As she did so, she caught the eye of the gentleman next to him. He, too, was undeniably handsome, but more reserved than his cheerful counterpart. For a brief moment, the two locked gazes. Perhaps it was the air of indifference in his look, but she refused to look away, instead challenging him to do so first. For an even briefer moment, she thought she caught a glint of crimson in the dark depths of his eyes. His lids were heavy and he drew up the side of his mouth in what Sakura would call a contemptuous expression before whispering in his blonde friend's ear. The young man nodded, clapping the dark-haired man on his shoulder. Without a second glance, they disappeared into the manor as the visitors continued to slowly make their way into the expansive mansion and undoubtedly the lively party inside.

"He's handsome," Hinata whispered, her cheeks flushed as she fanned herself.

"That he is, as was his friend," Shizune noticed Sakura's look of inquiry. "Sakura?"

"Hmm?" Sakura brushed the unnerving feeling from her being. She blinked innocently. "Yes?"

"What did you think?" The corners of Shizune's lips twitched upward.

"I think the blonde is quite nice to look at," Sakura agreed, "But his friend seems intolerable. Purely arrogant and self-absorbed. A real jerk, I think."

"All that from a glance?" Shizune whistled, dragging her friends up the stairs. "You should really be less close-minded, Sakura."

Sakura didn't respond, instead chewing her bottom lip as she contemplated the events from the past few minutes. Something about the dark-haired man bothered her greatly—as if her were silently accusing her of something. She saw that look often from the villagers, who felt that the Hatake family had tarnished their name by taking in unfit young women. It wasn't that she wasn't used to that look, but coming from _him_.

_A stranger. _

Something in the pit of Sakura's stomach told her that she would hate the young dark-haired man at the top of the stairs.


End file.
